Praise of Hanuman, destroyer of sins
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
केली सीताशुद्धी । मूळ रामायणा आधीं ॥१॥
ऐसा प्रतापी गहन । सुरां सकळ भक्तांचें भूषण ॥ध्रु.॥
जाऊनि पाताळा । केली देवाची अवकळा ॥२॥
राम लक्षुमण । नेले आणिले चोरून ॥३॥
जोडूनियां कर । उभा सन्मुख समोर ॥४॥
तुका म्हणे जपें । वायुसुता जाती पापें ॥५॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
He accomplished the search for Sita even before the Ramayana's great events unfolded. Such is his glory, profound and mighty; he is the ornament of all gods and devotees. Going down into the netherworld, he humbled the demons. Rama and Lakshmana were secretly taken there, and he brought them back. He stands before his Lord with palms joined in reverence. Says Tuka, by chanting the name of the Son of the Wind, all sins are destroyed.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
He found Sita; this was set before the great events of the Ramayana unfolded. Such is his glory, deep and mighty; he is the ornament of all gods and all devotees. He went down into the netherworld and humbled its demons. Rama and Lakshmana were carried off there by stealth, and he brought them back. He stands before his Lord with palms joined. Tuka says: chant the name of the Son of the Wind, and your sins go.
What it means
Tukaram strings together Hanuman's deeds to show a power that is total and a heart that is humble. He recalls the search for Sita and the descent into the netherworld, where Hanuman humbled the demons and recovered Rama and Lakshmana after they were carried off by stealth. Yet for all this might, the image he leaves us with is Hanuman standing before his Lord with folded palms, glory bent into service. The turn at the end is the practical claim: simply chanting the name of the Son of the Wind destroys sins, so the listener is handed a path, not just a story.
Sacred Stories
Abhangas drawing on mythological narratives to illuminate spiritual truths.
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